Friends in High Places-Vietnam

The early Sunday morning air was already heavy with moisture and heat in Ho Chi Minh City. I took a moment to enjoy the lush trees lining the streets. Although they are oversized, the shade does nothing for the creeping heat. Looming tropical vegetation starkly contrasted the colonial French yellow buildings, scattered about and faded with age. Mornings in particular created a color pallet I found to be very pleasing. We were lucky to be staying only a few blocks away from the Reunification Palace, our scheduled outing for the day. The monument to Vietnamese independence was only a few blocks away, and I was excited to brace for the morning rush hour.

As we made our way closer to the gates, famous in their own right in history, it was clear that we were far from the only ones looking to dabble in Vietnam’s triumphant past. 

Around us are dozens of men and women gathered in anticipation. Since it was before the gates opened for the day, one family member was assigned to wait in the growing line at the ticket window, leaving behind small pockets of women and children. While we waited in our own little pocket, I took a moment to stop and take it all in.

The simultaneous stimulation of every bodily sense left me captivated. Looking around I notice women in beautiful dresses, fanning the hair that has begun to stick to their foreheads. The sight reminded me of my own thin layer of accumulated sweat. The never-ending symphony of traffic has been slightly muted by the growing babble of people and food vendors hoping to work the crowd. The smell of dew and car exhaust is present over the young coconut the vendor so tactfully sold me. It is refreshing and cold on such a hot morning.

Looking back on it, the experience outside the Reunification Palace was just as special as the one inside.